Center-tube stem-machine.



W. N. PACKER.

CENTER TUBE STEM MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED Dnc. z2, 1902. BBNBWED JULY zo, 190e.

Y Patented 0G13. 5, 1909.

para? strati-ass retrasar onirica.

WILLABD N. HACKER, OF SHELBY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, B'Y MEiSNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

. 'CGRPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

GENEPJAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led December 22, 19t-i2, Serial No. 1365,193. Renewed July 20, 1906. Serial No. 327,082.

To all whoml it may concern:

` Be it known that l, lVrLLARn N. Paolina, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shelby, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in CenterTube Stem- Machines, of which the following is a vfull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Tn most incandescent' lamps, platinum tipped wires pass through the closed inner end of a glass mount tube which is in the neck of the lamp, and has a flange on its outer end, which is sealed to the end of the lamp neck. ln certain types of lamps, known as tipless lamps, the glass exhaustion' tube. is placed centrally within the flanged glass tube or socalled flare, and the inner ends of the two glass tubes are sealed together' without closing the inner end of the exhaustion tube. ln the lamps referred to, the platinum tipped lead wires lie between these two tubes and pass through the glass which joins their inner ends. l

The present invention relates to mechanism for quickly joining the ends of these two tubes, and for pressing the glass closely around the lead wires which pass through it.

The invention may be here summarized as consisting of the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and pointed out definitely in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation, partly in' section, of a machine embodying my invention; Fig. a longitudinal sectional view of the upper ends ot" the parts of the device which hold the two glass tubes and lead wires in proper relat-ionship,-tl1e said tubes and wires being also shown; Figs.

3 and 4 are views of the glass structure which the machine is designed to complete; Fig. 5 is an end View of one of the clamping faces of one of-the levers which pinch the glass around the lead wires; Fig. is a top pian 1 view of the tubular post `forming the upper i part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2.

Refer-ruig to the parts by letters, A represents a vertical tubular support for the two glass tubes T and R which are to be the upper ends of said glass tubes above the united. For reasons which will be presently i hole u in said support extends from the top ldownward a distance slightly less than the shown this external flange is in the form of a n ut which screws upon the support, wherefore it is adjustable up and down, and therefore capable of use with the flanged glass tubes T of various lengths. Means are also provided for holding the platinum tipped wires in place so that they will occupy a vertical position between the glass tubes upon the support, as stated, and so that said wires shall extend above the plane in which the glass tubes are tov be welded together. The means shown for so supporting the wires are vertical grooves a* in the upper end of the support A., which grooves are placed at diametrically opposite points, and extend down as far as may be necessary to accommodate the wires. These external grooves in the construction shown are in thc outer surface of the upper end a ot' the sup-A port, but the internal surface of the lower part ofthe support is also grooved in such way as to'form the continuations of the grooves a4. The wires W are placed in these Urrooves inl such wise that the little bur w termed by welding'the platinum tips, to the wires, shall rest. upon the top of the support, and when they do so rest, the lower ends of the wires project into the grooves inside of the lower' part of said support. When the glass tubes are supported by the means stated, so that their upper ends project slightly above the top of the support, and whenthe wires are also supported as sta-ted` as shown clearly in Fig. 2. a blow pipe flame (or llames) is directed against support carrying the mount tube, and the support itself is rotated upon its vertical axis so that all sides ot' said glass tubes shall be equally heated andsoftened. When so softened the upper edge of the outer glass tube falls inward into contact with the inner Patented ct.. 5, ltbdfl?. l

tube, whereupon said tubes weld themselves together, and in so doing embrace the two wires. Then, in order to insure' a perfect weld and to form tight joints around said wires, certain glass pinching or mount forming devices'are caused to 4force the. upper edge of the outer tube inward against the edge of the inner tube, and also to grasp some of the soft glass' and pinch it tightly around the wires, the glass so pinched taking the form of flat ears t, shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This is of course accomplished -without pinching together the top lof the inner or exhaust tube R. ln the construction shown, the lower end of this support A is concentrically placed in Vamroltatiii member B, from which it extends at bot ends. This rotating member is mountedv in a vertical bearing sleeve C, and has secured to its lower end a friction wheel b, by means of which, through contact with `the rotating friction wheel F, said member may be rofated. The support A is splined in the ro tating member by means of the screw b rigidly secured in the rotating member to project into a vertical slot a@ in the support whereby the lsupport partakes of the rotary movement of the member B, but is capable of vertical movement therein. A spring H, which embraces the support between the top of the member B and a flange a'r upon said support, exerts its force to hold the support in the elevated position shown in Fig. 1.

The glass pinching devices or mount forming means are in the form of bent levers E which are pivoted to the flange B of the member B, on horizontal pivots, placed at diainetrically opposite points. Each of these levers has an inwardly projecting arm e, with which a spring J engages to force it upward, and thereby throw the upper ends of said leversaway from each other. These spring actuated arms, however, extend under the flange a7 on the support.. 'hen the support is moved downward in the member B, this flange engaging with these arms, causes the levers to rock in such direction that their upper ends move toward each other, and into contact with the upper ends of the glass tubes being operated upon. (ln the proximate faces of the upper ends of each of these levers are two projecting lugs e2. When these levers are swung toward each other, portions of the softened glass, on opposite sides of the vertical axis of the tube T, are caught between the lugs on one lever andthe4 lugs onthe other lever, and pinched together to form two ears t, which embrace the wires lV. At the saine time the parts of.thc lever ends between the lugs, engage with the softened upper end of the tube T and make it certain that these soft parts of the tube bc pushed inward into contact with the upper end of the inner tube R: The space between the lugs permits this pressing of the ends of the tubes to be accomplished without closing the top ofthe inner or exhaust tube.

The sleeve C in which the member B is rotatably mounted is secured to the outer end of an arm c whose inner end is secured to a hub c which is rotatably mounted on a vertical standard G. Preferably anotherv arm c extends from this hub in a diametrically vopposite direction, and, upon this arm is supported mechanism precisely like that which has been explained. A blow pipe device K is supported upon the top of this standard G and is of sucli convenient construction and is so arranged that the flame is blown horizontally outward from the center across the path which-must be traveled by the upper ends of the glass tubes, if the skeleton frame, of which the hub c and arms c c are a part, is rotated upon said standard. carried by this skeleton frame is loaded,- that is to say, the glass tubes T R and wires VVlare placed thereon, whenit is in position relative to the blow pipeviames, as shown at the right of Fig. 1. The frame is `theii swung around until the upper ends of the dass tubes are in the range of the blow pipe flames, where the frame is stopped long enough for the tubes to be softened for the welding operation. When the frame-is in this position, the friction wheel on the lower part of the member B, is in` contact with a friction wheel l", secured to a vertical shaft N mounted in 'a fixed standard M wherefore the member B and the support A are rotated. be constantly rotated by any suitable means, as for example, by a belt engaging with the pulley n on its lower end. A rock shaft l is mounted in a bracket mforming a part of the standard, and on one end of this rock shaft is a crank arm 7) carrying a friction roller 7). which extends over and into contact with an annular flange (L8 on' the lower end of the support A. When the upper ends The shaft N referred to mayY In practice one of the devices of the glass tubes are sufliciently heated, this l rock shaft P is turned in its bearings, and

ton frame is now swung upon its axis to bring this loaded device into operative position with respect to the other A parts described, while the support carrying the tinished product is moved around so that the operator may conveniently remove said product.

j The upper end u of the support is so much in the blow pipe flame that it becomes worn out after awhile. This part` may be removed and another similar part substituted without any other change in the mechanism. llaving described my invention, l claim:

l. 'lhe combination of a vertical support having a central hole extending from the top downward a lsuitable distance, an external flange, and vertical wire grooves, with means for directing a blow pipe llame across the top of said support.

2. The combination of a vertical support having a central hole extending from the top downward ay suitable distance, an external flange, and vertical wire grooves, with means for directing a blow pipe flame across the topof said support, and glass pinching devices for'pinching together, around the wires, the softened ends of the glass tubes held upon said support.

3. The combination of a vertical tubular support, a plug screwed into its lower end, an external flange vertically adjustable upon said support, and means for directing a blow pipe flame across the top of said support.

4. The combination of a vertical rotatable member, and means for rotating the same, a support secured axially in said member, a connection between said support and menibcr whereby both must rotate in unison but the latter may move axially in the former,- said support having a hole extending from its top downward a suitable distance and having an external flange, glass pinching devices mounted upon said rotatable ineinbei, and means for directing a blow pipe llame across the top of said support.

5. The combination of a vertical rotating member, means for rotating it, a support supported axially' in said member and capable of moving endwisc therein but compelled to rotate with said member,--said support having a hole extending from the top downward a suitable distance, an adjustable nut, and an external flange, a spring operating to move the support Aupward in the vrotatable member, and two glass pinching levers pivoted to said member and having arms extending under the flange on the Support, springs forv moving said glass pinching levers apart, means for moving the support in opposition to itsspring, and means for directing a blow pipe flame across the top of said support.

t3. The combination of a vertical bearing sleeve, a member rotatably mounted therein and having on its lower end a driving wheel, a support passing axially through said rotatable member having a hole extending from the top downward a suitable distance and having an external vertically adjustable flange, mechanism compelling simultaneous rotation ofsaid member and supportbut permitting the latter to move vertically -within the former, a spring operating to inove`said support u-pward, a flange on the lower end of the support, a. rock shaft having a crank arm, a friction roller mounted 011 said crank arm engaging with said flange, glass pinching levers mounted upon said rotatable member and having inwardly extended arms, and a flange fixed to said support above said arms, substantially as specified.

'i'. The combination of a member rotatable upon a vertical axis, a support passing axially through said rotatable member,-there being a tongue and groove connection between said support and member, and said support having a hole extending from its top downward a suitable distance, and an external adjustable flange,-the upper end-of said support being removably secured to the lower part thereof, with means for rotating Said member, means for moving the support vertically therein, glass pinching levers mounted upon said member, and means for directing a blow pipe flame across the top of said support.

S. A machine for making the stems of incandescent lamps, comprising means for holding an outer tube, an inner tube and lead wires in. proper relation to each other, and means for welding the ends of the tubes to one another and sealing in the lead wires at the welding point.

9. A machine for making the stems of incandescent lamps,` comprisingl a support for an outer tube, means for supporting an inner tube and lead wires, means for heating the adjacent ends of the tubes. and means for forcing the softened ends of the tubes into contact with on another and pressing the glass around the lead wires.

l0. A machine for making the stems ol' incandescent lamps, comprising an adjustable support for an outer tube, meaiis'for supporting an inner tube and lead wires. means for heating the adjacent ends of the tubes, and means for forcing the softened ends of the tubesl into contact with one another and pressing the glass around the lead wires.

11. A machine for making the stems of incandescent lamps, comprising a support for an outer tube, means for adjustably supporting an inner tube and lead wires. means for heating the adjacent ends of the tubes. and means for forcing the softened ends of the tubes into contact with one another and pressing the glass around the lead wires.

12. A machine for making t-lie stems of iiuandescent lamps, comprising anv adjustable siippoi't for an outer tube. means for adjiistably supporting an inner tube and lead wires, means for heating the adjacent ends of the tubes. and means for forcing the CII softened ends of the tubes into contact with one another and pressing the glass around the lead Wires.

13. A machine for making the stems of incandescent lamps, comprising means for holding an outer tube, an inner tube and lead wiresin proper relation to each other,.vmeans for rotating the support upon which the tubes are held, means for heating the adjacent ends of the tubes, and meansfor forcing the heated ends of the tubes into contact with lead wires.

15. A machine for making the stems of incandescent lamps, comprising a support for holding an outer tube, an inner tube and lead wires in proper relation to cach other, means for rotating said support, a blow pipe for heating the adjacent ends of the tubes during rotation of the support upon which they are held, and means for lowering the support and thereby withdrawing the ends of the tubes from the range of the blow pipe and simultaneously forcing the softened ends of the tubes into contactwith one another and pressing the glass around the lead wires.

1( A machine for making the stems of i11- caudescent lamps, comprising a support for adjustably holding an outer tube, means for adjustably holding au inner tube, means for retaining the lead wires in proper position between the outer and inner tubes, means for heating the adjacent ends of the tubes, and means for forcing the softened ends of the tubes into contact with one another and at the Sametime pressing the glass around the1 lead wires whereby the outer and inner tubes are sealed together4 but an opening is re` tained through the inner tube.

17. A machine for making the stems of incandescent lamps, comprising a support for holding an outer tube, an inner tube and lead wires in proper relation to each other, means for heating theV adjacent ends of the tubes, two jaws each having two yprojecting lugs, and means for forcing the jaw's against the softened ends of the tubes wherebythe tubes are pressed into contact with one' another and the glass pressed around the lead wires.

18. In an apparatus for forming incandescent lamp mounts, the combination of means for supporting the flare, and means for supporting the exhaustion tube within said flare.

19. A machine for forming incandescent lamp mounts comprising a heater, a rotatable support for the mount tube, and means rotatable with said support for forming' the mount, substantially as described.

20. A machine for forming incandescent lamp mounts comprising a rotatable frame having rotatable apparatus thereon comprismg a mount tube support, and .means for forming the mount, substantlally as described.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my sigi'ulture in the presence of two witnesses. 1WILLARI) N. IACKER. XVituesses E. l. (ILomus'r, M. S. Mu'rzuNnMrM. 

